New majority shareholder itelligence AG opens up new market prospects for GISA GmbH

One of the world’s most successful mid-market SAP full-service providers, itelligence AG, and GISA GmbH, the renowned IT service provider in Halle (Saale), have today announced their partnership. itelligence will become a majority shareholder in GISA with an interest of 51%.

Effective January 1, 2014, itelligence AG is acquiring the majority stake from the two previous shareholders envia Mitteldeutsche Energie AG (enviaM) and MITGAS Mitteldeutsche Gasversorgung GmbH, a subsidiary of enviaM, which together previously held 74.9% in GISA GmbH. Alongside itelligence as the new majority shareholder, enviaM will still hold 23.9% and KOWISA Kommunalwirtschaft Sachsen-Anhalt GmbH & Co. Beteiligungs-KG will continue to hold 25.1% in GISA.

Herbert Vogel, CEO of itelligence AG, comments: “In acquiring a majority investment in GISA, we are continuing a growth and success concept that has already been proven in the United States, Europe, and Asia: Joining the best specialists and the most successful consultants in their respective industries with us. We are the number one SAP consulting company for SMEs in Germany, Europe, and the world.”

Founded in 1993, GISA is a leading IT and outsourcing provider with around 600 employees at five locations in Germany. GISA operates a multi-certified data center and is constantly investing in data security and the latest technologies. As a result, the company has been awarded ISO 27001 certification by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). As a long-standing SAP partner, GISAis a certified SAP partner for cloud services and application management services in addition to being certified as a customer center of expertise.

Norbert Rotter, CFO of itelligence AG, comments: “GISA has excellent industry and process expertise in the fields of the energy industry and the public sector. Both sectors are increasingly demanding highperformance IT, with correspondingly high forecasts for growth. With this strategic investment, itelligence is significantly expanding the business volume of its existing hosting business, which is operated from the Bautzen location. Our goal is to tap the energy and public sector market segments together with our energy specialists at the Oldenburg location. I am anticipating clear revenue growth here in the medium term.”

The Supervisory Board of enviaM and the Shareholder Meeting of MITGAS approved the sales of the shares in GISA to itelligence on May 8. The German Federal Cartel Office had already approved the sale on May 6.

Carl-Ernst Giesting, CEO of enviaM and Chairman of MITGAS, said: “The IT division is not a core business area of enviaM or MITGAS. In order to grow sustainably in the future, GISA needs a majority shareholder with core competence in the IT area. itelligence meets these requirements. The company is excellently positioned both nationally and internationally. This will open up new market prospects for GISA. As a shareholder, enviaM will continue to monitor the ongoing development of GISA. GISA will also continue to be the IT service provider for the enviaM Group.”

GISA GmbH’s current customers include companies from the energy industry, public sector contractors, and industry and service customers: In addition to the enviaM Group, examples include the GAS AG network, GASAG Berliner Gaswerke AG, the Free State of Saxony, BAYERNOIL Raffineriegesellschaft mbH, and the Kraftanlagen Group. GISA believes that its new strategic partner will strengthen its position in the long term and intends to extend its offering moving ahead.

Michael Krüger, Managing Director of GISA, said: “We see itelligence’s majority investment in our company as opening up substantial opportunities for the sustainable growth of GISA. Thanks to the established position of itelligence as an SAP partner, its excellent standing in Germany and the world and the complementary portfolios, we will reach out to new markets. We are confident that our customers and our employees will benefit equally from the integration.”

itelligence values continuity: As a known brand in Eastern Germany, GISA will continue to operate under the name GISA and GISA’s employees are to be retained at the locations in Berlin, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Halle (Saale), and Leipzig. GISA and itelligence are also planning further recruitment.

Dr. Andreas Berger, the second Managing Director of GISA, will step down after the transaction has been completed. Given his transaction experience and expertise in business law, Dr. Berger had been appointed to the management of GISA to handle this project in particular, and will now continue his work at the enviaM Group.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price for the majority investment